I'm still here ....

Despite appearances to the contrary, ( at least , you might wonder looking at the lack of posts here in the last 8 months ), I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth, or emigrated to another planet, or taken a vow of silence, or died .... I am still here, and still very much alive ! .... I just haven't got around to posting anything. I kept saying to myself I would next week ... which became the following week ... then a month passed .... and another .... and so it went on. Next thing I know, most of a year has passed , and I had allowed my blog to die off (almost, but not quite).

Since last NOVEMBER (* blushes with shame*) my moods have been a bit up and down to say the least ... more dark than light unfortunately. It was nothing major , but it hasn't been the greatest time of my life ( mostly work related again ). I just couldn't seem to shift the dark clouds over me for months at a time. I had a long bad period, followed by a good one, followed by another bad one. Now, I am  going through a period of OK-ness ... somewhere between the two extremes .... and it seems to be lasting a while. I just hope to continue to hold on to this positive frame of mind for as long as possible, and even if I don't, I think I am more able to manage the darkness now - to recognise its arrival, not allow it to take me over, more able to shake it off faster. I don't want to repeat the experiences of the bulk of this year again if I can avoid it.

I have had lots to write about - it is not as if I have done nothing - but as I explained, I just didn't. So, a rapid update of my life since the last post : seeing Eddie Izzard @ BIC ( still very, VERY funny ... and in "boy" mode, quite attractive too ! );
coping with Christmas @ the Fun Factory ( busy, but not that busy ... I could cope ... and no pressure about mince pies this time - we had none !);
Having a DT Christmas ( he was EVERYWHERE on TV over the Xmas/New Year period , what with his last two appearances as The Doctor and Hamlet ... I wasn't complaining though ! - more on that later perhaps ?);
The surprise arrival of snow just as we entered the New Year ... and the fact it lasted almost two weeks ( almost unheard of here ), causing transport chaos ( but I still got to work and back each day - combination of car, train and plain walking ! ), and panic buying of supplies ( sold more bread, milk, rice and salt in a 3 day period that we usually do it a week and a half );
coping with a bad spell at work and , to some extent, at home too ( the low after the high of the snow-influenced sales ... NOTHING I did was right, and went into constant "spikey" mode with EVERYONE around me for a LONG time .... job at risk over it ... rows and disagreements at home ... not good ... only just come out of all that recently) ;
the high point of my year so far - seeing the Maestro in concert in Paris in late March (a brilliant experience, if a little loud ... more in another post ) , and booking to see him AGAIN @ the O2 Arena in October ( the obsession hasn't abated yet *hee hee*) ;
the trials and tribulations of my bicycle ( went through a 3-4 week period of constant punctures, a buckled back wheel and various other mechanical problems ... solved them in the end, but didn't help my mood or state of mind at the time );
the arrival of a glorious Spring and Summer ( so far that is ... and saying that, the rain has arrived back with a vengeance this week ... );
discovering another possible obsession ( it isn't one yet ... but it could be - the music of Muse ... channelling into my inner rock-chick I think  *LOL* !!!! . Watched them @ Glasto on TV, and was blown away by the performance) .... and that is about it, so far.

As for the rest of the year .... well, I've got the Maestro to look forward to, work is going OK at the moment ( but that could change ... ) ... anything could happen. Lets just see what Fate and
Chance have in store for me ... for as Bill Hicks said : " Life - it's just a ride" .... so I'm ready to continue the ride .... and continue writing .... if I remember to, that is !